MADISON, Ill. (Thursday, August 15, 2024) – Returning from a month-long break coinciding with the Summer Olympics, James Roe and his No. 29 Topcon Andretti Global team are geared up to get back on the track for this weekend’s OUTFRONT Showdown – the 11th contest and second oval of this season’s INDY NXT™ by Firestone calendar.

Located just outside St. Louis, World Wide Technology Raceway offers a unique 1.25-mile oval with a non-traditional shape and varying degrees of banking in each corner. The track’s egg shape is reminiscent of the oval at Japan’s Twin Ring Motegi with Turns 1 & 2 sharing similarities with New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Turns 3 & 4 loosely mirroring Phoenix Raceway. Having qualified sixth in 2023’s OUTFRONT Showdown and having secured the pole at INDY NXT’s most recent oval race, Roe brings pace, experience, and confidence into this weekend’s event.   

“This is an important weekend for us as we come back from break and enter the final stretch of the season,” said Roe in anticipation of the weekend. “St. Louis is always a fun race and I know that the team really enjoys coming out here. After locking in the pole and a podium at Iowa before the break, we know we’ve got mega pace on the ovals and we intend to show it.”

Coming back from the pause in the schedule, the Irish driver and his No. 29 Topcon team aim for a big result in St. Louis for partners Topcon, Ring Power Corporation, CES Power, Strong Roots, Trintech, Tourism Ireland, and The Ireland Funds in this first of three straight weekends of INDY NXT by Firestone contests. 

ABOUT THE EVENT

Event: INDY NXT by Firestone OUTFRONT Showdown

Season: Race 11 of 14

Race: Saturday, August 17 (4:05 p.m. ET)

Track: World Wide Technology Raceway (1.25 mile oval)

Other Sessions: Practice – Friday, August 16 (3:15 p.m. ET); Qualifying – Friday, August 16 (6:45 p.m. ET)

Broadcast: Race – Live on Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network (U.S.), INDYCAR Live! (outside of U.S.). Practice/Qualifying – Live on INDYCAR Live!, INDYCAR Radio Network (globally). Sky F1 (UK/Ireland/Northern Ireland).

ABOUT JAMES ROE

Hometown: Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland

Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana

Age: 25

2024 Car: No. 29 Topcon Andretti Global Dallara

Social: IG – @jamesroe_ie, X – @jamesroe_IE, FB – @JamesRoeJr